Manatee County Commission District 5: Vanessa Baugh

Name: Vanessa Baugh

Age: 67

Family: N/A

Bio: 

Education: Attended Tidewater Community College majoring in business administration; Gemological Institute of America.

Community: Meals on Wheels, past board member; Lakewood Ranch Community Fund, past board member; Lakewood Ranch Kiwanis, past board member; Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance, past board member; Manatee Chamber of Commerce, past board member; Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, past board member; Small Business Council, past chairman; U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Small Business Council, past board member; Manatee County Republican Executive Committee.

Public service: Board of County Commissioners; Port Authority; Sarasota Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization; Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council; Civic Center Authority; Community Redevelopment Agency; Tourist Development Council; Florida Association of Counties Federal Committee; Florida Association of Counties Water Policy Committee 

Why are you running for office?

I am running for election to continue to be a voice for the residents of Manatee County, to help protect their rights and to make change for a better quality of life. The direction of our county is at stake in this election; we have got to stop the bureaucracy, no more poorly planned policies that have a negative affect on our citizens. We can, and must, change back to a limited conservative government for the people. For the first time in years, we have that opportunity and must not fail.

If elected, what will be your top three priorities during your term? 

1. Have infrastructure (which includes not only roads but water and sewer lines) as a top priority to improve our roads and improve flooding including contamination of water;
2. Make sure law enforcement has the funding it needs to keep our citizens safe while also reducing taxes; and
3. Reduce regulations that citizens have to deal with when dealing with government. We need to be more service-oriented toward our citizens.

What role should the county play to increase the amount of workforce/affordable housing? 

In the past year we have 232 new rental units in the pipeline. We have several single family subdivisions in predevelopment with 157 affordable units; however it is not enough. Manatee County has several ways to assist developers in building affordable housing, including reimbursing their impact fees. We need to look at the regulations involved, costs by the county and delete everything we can to make workforce/affordable housing more attractive. We must be more helpful in this regard to make it easier for these to be built.

What do you think the county’s role is in stimulating business in the aftermath of COVID-19?

The county needs to help our businesses who are trying to reopen, etc. We have several alternatives mostly due to the CARES Act. We have grants available to businesses, not to mention programs for individuals and businesses to help with mortgages, rents, education, etc. It is obvious that the more businesses we can help get open, more people will be going back to work, and the economy will start moving forward. One more thing, look at any regulations that are hindering small business and forfeit them. Lastly, we have diversified our economy, but there is still more to do. We cannot continue with real estate and tourism being our priority industries.

What is your position on impact fees? Should they be raised? Why or why not?

I have never been a fan of impact fees; the uses of them are too restricted by Florida statute. Also, they are a tax, I believe there are easier ways to pay for growth that would not hit the homeowner so hard. However, it is a fine line as to what that should be. Remember, all fees are passed on to the homebuyer, so you must be careful in making sure the fees are used in the best way that is possible to help with the growth in that particular area.

In what areas of county government spending do you think the county could cut expenses without hurting services? Would you support an increase in the millage rate to provide more services for county residents?

I believe there are many ways to cut government spending. First, I believe an audit of each department should be done to see if any can be merged together, what expenses can be reduced. The question is whether they are being as efficient as possible without cutting services to the citizens. I am totally against increasing the millage and would never vote for that. We must remember Manatee County is growing rapidly and so are home values. That means Manatee County government revenues are growing each year. Here is a thought how about reducing the millage and give our citizens a break. This might even help our economy and small businesses.

The Legislature has enacted laws to reduce nutrient runoff, and local governments are expected to do their part. The county staff has introduced charging a new stormwater management fee to all property owners. What’s your position?

I do not believe a stormwater fee is necessary. A stormwater fee is a nice way of saying tax. Manatee County has massive reserves, much more than Florida statutes require. We need to look at the budget and reevaluate our priorities. This is an area that has not been budgeted correctly in the past and is now at a point of needing immediate attention.

If elected, what will be your priorities on roads and transportation? How should the county commission address road capacity to handle future growth?

Have a transportation committee organized to study how to increase road capacity and set up public/private partnerships to achieve results. We cannot just add lanes; we must look at other alternatives to continuously move traffic. New alternatives of financing needs to be investigated as well. We are a growing community and need to start operating as as a community of 500,000. We need to work closer with our partners as as FDOT and others the sooner the better. 

Vacation rentals: How should they be regulated — locally or by the state? And if locally, by the county or municipalities? How would you regulate them?

Vacation rentals should be regulated by the municipalities/counties they are located in. Each area in the Florida is different, so different regulations will be needed. In Manatee County the municipalities should have home rule.